Pros: - Seemingly infinite power limits. - 4x12V rails. - Fully modular - Tough, sleeved, snake-like cables. - Ample cables and accessories. - 80+ platinum efficiency. - Bracket that holds the power cord into the socket. - Comes with a neat fan. Seriously, wasn't expecting to like the fan but it's very cool.

Cons: - I received a defective unit the first time that shot sparks! - Pricey. - A bit longer than most PSUs.

Overall Review: I had kind of a unique experience picking one of these up for my X79 build. I bought it at a local retailer and the unit shot sparks out the back when I flipped the power switch! Luckily I didn't have it plugged into anything. I went back the next day and easily got it replaced and the new unit has worked flawlessly. I had power issues when I used a Cooler Master 700W with my previous 560tiSLI build when I'd try to push the clocks. I had swapped the Platimax into that computer before I sold off most of its internal and my power issues evaporated. So far it's an amazing PSU but the real verdict comes in the longevity in my opinion. I bought it in Feb and it's still going strong. It currently powers 2 GeForce GTX 680s both overclocked to 132% power, a core i7 3820 @ 4.75GHz 1.41v, 3 HDDs, 1 ODD, 2 SSDs, 6 fans and a CPU pump. Doesn't break a sweat.

Pros: - Fast. - Very overclockable. - Price/performance on par with regular Sandy Bridge. Perfect if you need the platform X79 offers but don't need more than last gen's performance. - 40 PCIe lanes for 3-4 way SLI/CFX. PCIe 3.0 also.

Cons: - Should have been a K series chip. It overclocks just as well as one. - Draws a lot of Watts from the wall. Especially when overclocked. - You need to buy your own cooler. I don't think this is truly a problem though. A stock cooler would have no value to me anyways as I wouldn't use it. You should pair this chip up with a good cooler to see what it can do anyways. - The X79 platform is more expensive overall.

Overall Review: I was worried at first that this chip being partially locked would limit it's ability to push clocks but that was unfounded. It was easy to click the CPU strap and voltage up and get a quick overclock the same as any unlocked SKU. I have run into some CPU bottlenecking for my GTX 680s BEFORE overclocking but I was able to squeeze another 1.1GHz out of it and now it's balanced. Pushed to 4.75GHz it idles at 35C and at full load it's around 72C on water. This CPU keeps up with everything I can throw at it and more. I'm glad I didn't spring for the 3930K as I doubt I'd be seeing much of a performance difference in my uses (gaming mostly).

Pros: - Absolutely top end performance. One card beats my old 560ti's. - Overclocks nicely and doesn't get much hotter. - Blower style coolers are my favourite. All heat is exhausted outside of the case. Great for mini builds. - Pulls much less power than a 580. - Doesn't require 8 pin power. 2x6 pins. - Not as long as it looks. There is clearance inside the shroud if you have to put it in a tight space. - Perfect variation of outputs. I use the DVI's only but I have options. - 3 and 4 way SLI - 2GB is absolutely enough VRAM for modern games even at 6080x1080.

Cons: - $500. (feed your children first please). - Finding one is a struggle. This wont be forever but you will likely have to wait for your 680. - Blower coolers can be louder when pushed hard.

Overall Review: I decided I needed to rebuild my computer because I was running into VRAM issues with my i7 870/560ti SLI build because of it's 1GB. I run 3 monitors in Nvidia Surround for gaming (BF3, Skyrim mostly right now) so I knew I needed I lot more power AND a larger frame buffer if I wanted to play BF3 at anything higher than medium and still push 60+. I went with an ASUS Rampage IV Formula and an i7 3820 and decided to start with 1 GTX 680 and add new ones until perfection. I found this Zotac board through a friend who worked at a local retailer. I had it ordered in on launch day and got one of the first cards that ever came through them. I have 2 now, the second being an EVGA, and they are BEYOND what I expected. Before I found the second, I was playing at high and getting the same FPS as I was at medium with the 560tiSLI. TWO gives me everything ultra (no msaa) at average 70 FPS. Overclock this card also. I got a ton of performance just by letting it get loud.